Buzz
Since their early days in Burlington, Vermont, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have crafted unique ice cream flavors while teaming up with pop culture legends. Their latest collaboration features Ron Burgundy, adding to their legacy of creative partnerships.
To celebrate Ron Burgundy's return in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Ben & Jerry's launched Scotchy Scotch Scotch, a butterscotch ice cream with a butterscotch swirl. Burgundy humorously suggested other flavors like malt liquor marshmallow and cheap white wine sherbet in the announcement.
Burgundy and Anchorman join a long list of cultural icons, both real and fictional, honored with their own Ben & Jerry's flavors. Here are 11 more delightful collaborations worth savoring.
1. CHERRY GARCIA
Rock-and-roll-inspired flavors are now a signature of Ben & Jerry’s, but this wasn’t always true. It took nine years after the company’s inception for such a flavor to emerge. In 1987, two devoted Grateful Dead fans from Portland, Maine suggested a tribute to Jerry Garcia, leading to the creation of Cherry Garcia—cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes. This flavor remains one of their bestsellers.
2. DOONESBERRY
In 1996, Ben & Jerry’s introduced a line of sorbets made with pure spring water and organic fruits. These pints were fat-free, lactose-free, and cholesterol-free, yet they didn’t skimp on fun. The standout flavor was Doonesberry, inspired by the beloved Doonesbury comic strip.
3. PHISH FOOD
Ben and Jerry honored their Vermont neighbors, Phish, with one of their most iconic and top-selling flavors: Phish Food. Launched in early 1997, a portion of the sales from this flavor supported the environmental cleanup of Lake Champlain. This chocolate ice cream features marshmallow swirls, caramel ribbons, and fish-shaped fudge chunks, and it’s also available in a frozen yogurt version.
4. SCHWEDDY BALLS
It takes boldness to name an ice cream after a famous Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Alec Baldwin. While fans of the show found the name hilarious, groups like One Million Moms and some grocery stores were less amused when it debuted in 2011. Many retailers refused to stock the controversially named flavor, making it rare and short-lived. Baldwin addressed the uproar during his SNL hosting gig in September 2011, jokingly suggesting that critics try the new flavor: “Go Fudge Yourself.”
5. STEPHEN COLBERT’S AMERICONE DREAM
“Let’s face it—dessert has a liberal bias,” Stephen Colbert quipped in a statement announcing his signature ice cream in February 2007. “With this flavor, I aim to bring fairness to the freezer aisle.” The concoction—vanilla ice cream with fudge-dipped waffle cone pieces and caramel swirls—has been a consistent bestseller, with proceeds benefiting various educational charities.
6. LATE NIGHT SNACK
Jimmy Fallon joined the fun with the launch of Late Night Snack in March 2011, a Fair Trade treat blending vanilla ice cream, salted caramel swirls, and chocolate-covered potato chips. Yes, potato chips! The flavor was inspired by “Ladysmith Snack Mambazo,” a song created and performed by Fallon and The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
7. LIZ LEMON GREEK FROZEN YOGURT
To mark the series finale of 30 Rock, Tina Fey’s iconic character, Liz Lemon, was honored with a Greek frozen yogurt flavor. This sweet and tangy lemon yogurt, swirled with blueberry lavender, supported Jumpstart, an early education initiative Fey has championed for years, helping children in underserved communities develop a passion for reading.
8. FESTIVUS
Over two years after Seinfeld premiered, Ben & Jerry’s honored the show’s quirky holiday with a special flavor. This brown sugar and cinnamon ice cream, mixed with gingerbread cookie pieces and ginger caramel, was a limited-time offering. Flavor developer Rob Douglas boldly claimed it “outshines fruitcakes!”
9. VERMONTY PYTHON
Ben & Jerry’s paid tribute to the legendary British comedy group with Vermonty Python, a coffee liqueur ice cream packed with chocolate chunks and cookie crumbs. Launched in 2006, it remained a fan favorite until its departure in 2009.
10. GOODBYE YELLOW BRICKLE ROAD
To mark Elton John’s first Vermont concert in 2008, Ben & Jerry’s created Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, a decadent blend of chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle, and white chocolate chunks. Described by the company as a “symphony of indulgence,” this flavor was available for one week in Vermont shops, with proceeds supporting the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
11. WAVY GRAVY
Wavy Gravy, a unique blend of caramel, cashews, Brazil nuts, roasted almonds, and chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl, was a beloved flavor for a decade before being discontinued in 2003. Named after the iconic activist and Woodstock organizer, the flavor supported Camp Winnarainbow, a summer camp for underprivileged children. In a 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, Wavy Gravy humorously remarked on the flavor’s end, saying, “I got dumped. Ben and Jerry were mortified when Unilever, the big Dutch corporation, decided I wasn’t cost-effective. Even Mrs. Gravy joked she always knew I wasn’t cost-effective.”
All images courtesy of Ben & Jerry's.
